Latest news with #MásMadrid
Scottish Sun
14 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Horrifying moment off-duty cop chokes ‘phone thief' to death as desperate bystanders beg him to stop
Locals were heard pleading with the off-duty cop to stop BRUTAL CHOKEHOLD Horrifying moment off-duty cop chokes 'phone thief' to death as desperate bystanders beg him to stop Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the terrifying moment a police officer chokes a suspected phone thief to death as onlookers beg him to stop. The 58-year-old Spanish cop was out for dinner with a friend on Tuesday when the alleged thief stole his phone in northeastern Madrid. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 A police officer was caught pressing on a suspected thief's neck Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 5 The brutal chokehold killed the man Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 5 The unnamed cop will appear in court Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk Disturbing footage shows the moment the off-duty cop chased the suspect down the street then slammed him to the ground and held him in a chokehold. In a desperate attempt to stop him from killing the alleged thief, locals are heard calling: "please let him breathe". "You're going to suffocate the guy, man. Let go of his neck," one shouts. Another can be heard saying: "He's not going to run away. Just let him go." Ignoring their pleas, the officer continues to press down on the man's neck before police and paramedics arrived at the scene. But despite medics' attempt at saving him, he was soon pronounced dead after suffering from cardia arrest. Emergency services confirmed in a statement that a 36-year-old man had died of asphyxiation after 30 minutes of attempted resuscitation. Officers arrested the unnamed cop who appeared in court today. The devastating incident has sparked outrage in Spain, with some drawing comparisons to the killing of George Floyd in 2020 who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes. Sharing their horror online, one person posted: ''I can't breathe.' These were the words George Floyd uttered minutes before his death when a New York police officer killed him by asphyxiation." Cops release CCTV footage in hunt for man after 'attempted rape' of woman in her 30s at cinema Another wrote: "Murdering a person for a simple phone. An off-duty municipal police officer suffocates a person. "This is how the capitalist world is, a telephone is worth more than a person's life. What a disgusting society!" Spain's progressive party Más Madrid also weighed in, calling the assault a reflection of how "institutional racism" and "abuse of power" are normalized. A spokesperson said: "Two police officers, who were apparently under the influence of alcohol, have murdered a person in Torrejón. T "This reflects how institutional racism and abuse of power are normalized, even outside of working hours. "We demand an immediate investigation into this alleged murder due to asphyxiation caused by a police officer in Torrejón." This isn't the first time a case like this has taken place in Madrid. In 2018, protests erupted in the city after a Senegalese vendor was shot dead in the Italian city of Florence. Some 19 protesters and 10 police officers were injured as clashes spread across the city. 5 It's believed the cop was drinking at the time Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
The Irish Sun
14 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Horrifying moment off-duty cop chokes ‘phone thief' to death as desperate bystanders beg him to stop
THIS is the terrifying moment a police officer chokes a suspected phone thief to death as onlookers beg him to stop. The 58-year-old Spanish cop was out for dinner with a friend on Tuesday when the alleged thief stole his phone in northeastern Madrid. 5 A police officer was caught pressing on a suspected thief's neck Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 5 The brutal chokehold killed the man Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 5 The unnamed cop will appear in court Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk the suspect down the street then slammed him to the ground and held him in a chokehold. In a desperate attempt to stop him from killing the alleged thief, locals are heard calling: "please let him breathe". "You're going to suffocate the guy, man. Let go of his neck," one shouts. Another can be heard saying: "He's not going to run away. Just let him go." Ignoring their pleas, the officer continues to press down on the man's neck before police and paramedics arrived at the scene. But despite medics' attempt at saving him, he was soon pronounced dead after suffering from cardia arrest. Emergency services confirmed in a statement that a 36-year-old man had died of asphyxiation after 30 minutes of attempted resuscitation. Officers arrested the unnamed cop who appeared in court today. Most read in The US Sun The devastating incident has sparked outrage in Spain, with some drawing comparisons to the killing of Sharing their horror online, one person posted: ''I can't breathe.' These were the words George Floyd uttered minutes before his death when a New York police officer killed him by asphyxiation." Cops release CCTV footage in hunt for man after 'attempted rape' of woman in her 30s at cinema Another wrote: "Murdering a person for a simple phone. An off-duty municipal police officer suffocates a person. "This is how the capitalist world is, a telephone is worth more than a person's life. What a disgusting society!" Spain 's progressive party Más Madrid also weighed in, calling the assault a reflection of how "institutional racism" and "abuse of power" are normalized. A spokesperson said: "Two police officers, who were apparently under the influence of alcohol, have murdered a person in Torrejón. T "This reflects how institutional racism and abuse of power are normalized, even outside of working hours. "We demand an immediate investigation into this alleged murder due to asphyxiation caused by a police officer in Torrejón." This isn't the first time a case like this has taken place in Madrid. Read more on the Irish Sun In 2018, protests erupted in the city after a Senegalese vendor was shot dead in the Italian city of Florence. Some 19 protesters and 10 police officers were injured as clashes spread across the city. 5 It's believed the cop was drinking at the time Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 5 The horrific video was captured by a neighbour Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Local Spain
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Local Spain
‘Law of the jungle': Madrid's tuk-tuk problem complicates local life
Locals and residents associations in Madrid are pleading with the local council to take measures against the growing numbers of 'tuk-tuk' taxis in the capital. Tuk-tuks, which are a form of motorised tricycle or rickshaw taxi popular in Asia, are increasingly drawing criticism for their contribution to traffic congestion in Madrid city centre as well as a lack of training for drivers who often act as unofficial tour guides or take business from regulated taxis. The rising problem, combined with alleged police inaction, is becoming so bad that some in the Spanish media have dubbed the tuk-tuk scene in Madrid the "law of the jungle." Many complain about tuk-tuks travelling at speed in pedestrianised parts of town. Another outlet has described them as 'conquering Madrid' with surging numbers of tuk-tuks and little oversight. Víctor Rey, president of the Sol y Letras Association, a residents group, told Spanish daily El Diario about the problems these tricycle taxis generate in the neighbourhood, saying the problem is nothing new. 'The inconvenience on certain streets in the Letras neighbourhood and the Palacio district is widespread and well known. We've been putting up with a situation for years that is not at all pleasant and is out of control. It causes real chaos to traffic, especially in narrow streets that already have a high level of traffic," Rey said. Tuk-tuks have very quickly become a familiar feature of traffic jams and over-tourism in central Madrid, meaning their presence has grown unaccompanied by specific rules to regulate them. But now Madrid council, spurred on by pressure from locals and opposition parties, is finally turning its attention to the unlicensed taxis. Primary discussions about drawing up specific legislation were held at Cibeles city council in January, with the current lack of tax obligations made on tuk-tuk drivers in particular being raised as a potential way of cracking down. Spokesperson for Más Madrid, Esther Gómez, asked councillor Engracia Hidalgo about specific tax regulations, but it seems they are still at the developmental stage. Hidalgo referred only to 'a previous evaluation that, due to its complexity, is still being developed.' For Gómez, the three-wheel taxis 'raise many questions about the legal margins they are using to provide their services,' adding that tuk-tuks are essentially able to 'use public space for an economic activity that is free of charge as they are not affected by municipal taxes.' Gómez compared this to the taxes paid by newsagents or ice cream sellers, licensed taxi drivers themselves or any other street business. Similarly, Madrid's Professional Taxi Federation has raised concerns for some time, which it claims instead of being simply a tourist attraction is silently eating away at the legal taxi market: 'We are starting to see them picking up tourists with suitcases from hotels and taking them to the stations.'
